Staff Take Part In Team-Driven Wellness Program

The staff at Bedford Public Schools has teamed up with the Francis Family YMCA to participate in a health wellness program.

This marks the first year for the program, with only the high school staff participating.

If this year’s program is successful, there could be more like it in the district’s future.

“Right now we are just piloting it this year with the high school staff to see how it goes,” said Roxann Satkowski, district nurse for Bedford Public Schools.

The “Resolution Solution” program originated from the school’s newly formed Coordinated School Health Team, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We initially started by doing a healthy school assessment. As we were looking at the components on staff wellness, we thought about what we could do to improve staff wellness,” said Mrs. Satkowski.

From there, the Francis Family YMCA was contacted and they offered participants a free membership to the facility from Jan. 7 to March 31.

“It’s a nice partnership, and it is not costing anyone any money. It’s good for the employees because it gives them incentive to improve their health, and it’s good for the YMCA to help them showcase their facility,” said Mrs. Satkowski.

About half of the high school staff is participating and has access to all of the fitness equipment at the facility.

“I have been able to spend time exercising at the Y several times a week with my teammates and I have also been working out at home,” said Cindy Quello, a BPS food service employee.

The YMCA participates in a variety of employee wellness programs and worked with the Coordinated School Health Team in order to create the various components and offer the ending prize.

“At the end of the program in March, the winning team will win a free, three-month membership to the Francis Family YMCA,” Mrs. Satkowski said.

To earn points for the four-person teams, each team member must complete daily logs of food and exercise with each activity and healthy food choice having a point value.

Through the use of MyFitnessPal.com, participants are able to track with ease.

“The Web site is a great tool to use in keeping a diary of my foods and calories burned in exercise,” Ms. Quello said.

All point totals and weight information is kept by the YMCA staff.

So far, at six weeks into the competition, there has been positive feedback from those participating and the goal is for the teams to continue working toward their health and fitness goals once the competition has ended.

“The staff seems to really be enjoying it. It’s amazing how just making little changes, like watching what you’re eating, can be helpful, and when you have the support of a team behind you, you tend to do it a little bit better,” said Mrs. Satkowski.